England together with Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Draw
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe